June 11, 2022

"In 2020, Fern Steficek set out to raise sheep and grow plants for natural dyes in the Hudson Valley."

"She began searching for land, visiting one property that had recently been acquired by Brooklyn transplants. But when she described rotational grazing practices to the owners, which involve moving clusters of animals around the pasture using portable fencing, they were put off by the idea, saying they preferred for the livestock to dot the landscape. 'We walked around the property, and they were talking about their vision of, basically, a petting zoo,' Ms. Steficek said. They also objected to any of the animals’ being slaughtered for meat, she said. 'It was frustrating and unrealistic, and not trusting me to know how to process animals humanely, but wanting a fairy tale idea of what farming is.'... If farmers could afford their land to begin with, these alliances might not be so necessary...."

From "How 'Fairy Tale' Farms Are Ruining Hudson Valley Agriculture Farmers are losing properties to wealthy buyers from the city, while leasing land from the new owners can feel like a 'modern-day feudal system'" (NYT).

22 comments:

wendybar said...

Progressives think farming is dumb. You can go to the Grocery store to buy your meat. You don't need a farm. They know better than everyone else. Haven't you figured that out yet??(Not you...just YOU in general) We live in upside down world.

gilbar said...

farms (with trout streams) here in NE iowa are becoming vacation homes, at a rapid rate.
Farms are worth Much More money as subdivisions then as farms.
Of course, the first thing an absentee vacation home owner does; is put up No Trespassing signs
selling Fracking Sands from their hills would have given iowa farmers enough to stay in business (with only a small lost of their land).. So, the Trout Unlimited people RALLIED to prevent Fracking Sand development.. Thus forcing farmers to go out of business and close their farms.. Which closes off access to the streams. The Trout Unlimited people are SO SMART!

Temujin said...

They don't like to plow up the land, nor slaughter the animals for food. But they do love their 2-3 star restaurants.

One wonders who will take care of these people when a generation of farmers, and tradespeople are gone.

I've got a friend from Kingston, NY. He's told me of the insane boom going on up there, the prices for homes being bid up far beyond any expectations or previous trends as people flocked out of NYC during covid. It's a beautiful part of the country. I get the move to go there. I hope they don't wreck it. As I hope the same for us in Florida. We're getting those who did not buy up in the Hudson Valley.

gilbar said...

The Important Thing to Remember is: Rich city folk are RICH, AND they're from the city; so they are Naturally BETTER people. Stupid poor country folk should respect their betters; and realize that city folk are their MASTERS. You Can Tell how smart the Rich City folk are, from the BLM and rainbow signs in their yards.

Humperdink said...

My antenna went up when Terrible Ted Turner started buying farmland out west decades ago. Lefties ruin everything they touch.

Cappy said...

"Help! I'm surrounded by mental pygmies!"

Mr. Scott, 7th grade math, 1964.

Koot Katmandu said...

Sounds like the Grapes of Wrath. Land all owned by robber barrens.

farmgirl said...

Vt has a Land Trust. So many farmers took advantage of selling their development rights to this Trust. This was to make agricultural lands cheaper for up and coming generations to buy.

It’s a joke. The land is not cheaper. We fit into this new feudal system as we rent most of our land. This was only going to be a starter farm and then we’d move on. Which we never did. It’s a lovely place, except for the reliance on others’ property. St least they haven’t butted into our management practices.

That’s the state and federal governments’ job.
This will not end well. They will destroy all good things in the name of Progress.

Lurker21 said...

New Patroons. New Anti-Rent Wars.

The more things change ...

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

The wealthy elite are even buying up noble home parks.

the elite want to crush everyone.

mikee said...

In the 1980s here in Texas, wealthy Houstonians often bought small farms in the Brenham area as their second homes, out in the country. The new owners would always put at least 2 cows on the property to maintain an Argicultural Exemption to certain onerous property taxes. While Longhorns and Angus and Hereford were often found, I knew a guy who insisted on Charolais cattle, a French breed of beef producers. He didn't want them for the beef, particularly. He said that he and his wife usually arrived at their home for the weekends late on a Friday, and it was nice to be able to see the light tan cattle against the green of the pasture in the twilight. Now tell me about your sheep dotting the meadow again, and tell me anything has changed in 40 years.

JAORE said...

Meat does not come from the cooler section of your grocery store.
Electricity does not originate at the wall plug.
Neither does water magically spring forth from the tap.

A few years ago I'd never have dreamed that this was not universally known.

But it is not.

Yet, somehow, those that do not understand these facts are the experts in charge.

Old and slow said...

I was interested in reading this article. About two paragraphs in they mentioned that farmland was especially difficult to find for "people of color". Why must this always be trotted out? I lost interest at that point. Non farmers really are idiots when it comes to what farming actually entails.

tim in vermont said...

Tons of land further upstate, but I think she has an unstated preference for the tonier environs close to big money NYC.

Greg The Class Traitor said...

They also objected to any of the animals’ being slaughtered for meat

"Farmers" who object to "farming" their livestock?

That word does not mean what they feel it means

Michael K said...

The worst thing to happen to Vermont was the interstate that runs up the border with New Hampshire. It was a disaster as it flooded Vermont with New Yorkers. They have never recovered.

Ambrose said...

With a contrary view - I support property rights, even for rich urban lefties (who probably don't). If you own the property, you get to decide what is or isn't done on it.

Fred Drinkwater said...

Twenty years ago I was driving through SW Colorado, where Ralph Lauren has a large ranch. Passing by his pastures, my friend asked if I noticed anything odd. I did not.
He pointed out that the fence rails were attached to the outside of the posts, as opposed to the proper inside (because cattle lean on them.) Why? Because Ralph Lauren thought they looked better that way.

John henry said...

Actually, Michael, the very worst thing was Vermont losing their machine tool industry. Getting all those new Yorkers was a close second.

Vermont used to host a number of big names.

Perhaps the biggest was Fellows in Springfield. At one point in the 50s,over half of all gears made in the world were made on Fellows gear shapers made in Springfield at Fellows 800,000 sq foot plant.

John LGKTQ Henry

farmgirl said...

There are lots of little impoverished towns that were beautiful in the 50s, in VT.
I don’t consider what’s happening to our country “progress”.

Old and slow said...

"Blogger Ambrose said...
With a contrary view - I support property rights, even for rich urban lefties (who probably don't). If you own the property, you get to decide what is or isn't done on it."

I don't see anyone here arguing against property rights, just commenting on the stupidity of the recent transplants.

Greg The Class Traitor said...

Ambrose said...
With a contrary view - I support property rights, even for rich urban lefties (who probably don't). If you own the property, you get to decide what is or isn't done on it.

Absolutely!

But my free speech rights enable me to mock you for your stupid use of your property rights. :-)

(Generic "you[r]", in case that wasn't clear)